Machine for sorting silk and other thread



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GOODRICH HOLLAND, OF IILLIMi-XNTIC, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR SORTING SILK AND OTHER THREAD.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,316, dated February 5, 1861.

To all whom 'it may concern:

r.Be it know.n that I, GrooDRIoH HoLLAND, or Vilhmantm, in the county of `W1ndham and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Device for Sizing or Ascertaining the Relative Sizes of Different Portions of Silk or other Thread; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a front view of the principal parts of a sizing machine in which my improved device is applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same at right angles to Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction, application and operation.

A, is the framing of the sizing machine made of any suitable form.

C, is a fixed axle secured in the lower part of the framing A, and having fitted loosely to it the bobbin B, on which is placed the thread to be sized.

D, is the main shaft of the machine fitted to suitable bearings in the upper part of the framing A, giving motion to two bobbins E, and E, upon which the thread is to be wound from the bobbin B, and carrying a cam F, for giving motion to the traverse bar G, which carries the two guides a, a, one for each bobbin, for guiding the thread, upon the bobbins. One of the bobbins E, E, is intended to receive the finer or thinner, and the other the coarser or thicker portions of the thread.

I-I, is a rock shaft fitted to suitable bearings in the framing A, between the bobbin B, and the two bobbins E, E. This rockshaft which is arranged parallel with the axis of the said bobbins has firmly secured to it by set screws z', z', or other suitable means two parallel arms I, I, whose adjacent sides constitute the gaging or sizing surfaces. These arms are set at a distance apart equal to the average thickness of the thread to be sorted. The said arms may be of cylindrical form as represented or of any other suitable form in their transverse section, or they may be fitted with rollers the peripheries of which will constitute the gaging surfaces. The said rock-shaft has also secured to it a third arm J, which has allowed to it a certain amount of swinging move-ment which is limited by two fixed stops Z), and c, secured to the framing A. The weight of the three arms tends to keep the arm J, in contact with the lower stop Z), as shown in Fig. l, and in black outline in Fig. 2, and this tendency may be assisted or increased to any desirable degree by an adjustable weight (l, applied to the arm J.

The operation of the sizing device is as follows: The thread represented in blue color in Fig. l, has its end conducted by the attendant from the bobbin B, between the arms or sizing surfaces I, I, and according as it passes freely or tightly between the arms I, I, is conducted through the proper guide a., or a, to the roller E, or E, and secured thereto, when it commences to be wound up from the bobbin B, by the rotary motion of the upper bobbin derived from the shaft D. I will suppose for example the thread is not above the average thickness and is wound by the bobbin E, as represented in Fig. l. `While it continues not above the average it continues to pass freely between the arms I, I, leaving the arm J, resting on the lower stop b, but as soon as it gets above the average it, by the friction it produces between the arms I, I, raises the said arms as far as permitted by the arm J, andthe upper stop c, against which that arm is instantly brought into contact as shown in red outline in Fig. 2. The attendant then breaks the thread and conducts its end from the bobbin B, through the guide a, to the bobbin E, which then commences winding and continues to do so as long as the thread is large enough, by its friction upon the arms I, I, to hold up the said arms; butwhen a smaller portion again presents itself between the said arms they fall to the position shown in black outline, and the attendant then again breaks the thread and conducts it from the bobbin B, to the other bobbin E, and the operation proceeds as at first mentioned.

The tilting movement of the sizing device H, I, I, J, may be made to operate a stopmotion to stop the rotation of the bobbin E, or E, upon which the winding has been done previously to the said movement, or the said movement may be made the means of directing the thread toward one or another portion of the length of a long bobbin according to its thickness.

That I claim as my invention and desire l arms I, I, With shaft H and arm J substanto secure by Letters Patent istialiy in the manner herein shown and del. The employment in silk sizing machines scribed. of oscillating sizing arms I, I, constructed GOODRIGH HOLLAND. 5 and Operating substantially as herein shown Witnesses:

and described. JAMES O. FITCH,

2. The combination of said oscillating; ELLIOT B. SUMNER. 

